Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

Written by Erin Ford
Part of National Nutrition Month 2014

Photo by Caroline Stephenson

It’s 8pm and so far you’ve stuck to your decision to live a healthier life. You woke up early and prepared a delicious breakfast, packed a colorful meal for lunch at work, and made stir-fry packed with so much zest and flavor you thought you were in Thailand.

But as you relax on the couch, enjoying your favorite TV show, you get an urge. You want anything sweet; no make that, everything sweet. In a moment of weakness you find yourself indulging in a pint of double chocolate chip ice cream. 

We’ve all experienced the magical force that makes ice cream randomly appear in our lap. I understand, you accomplished eating tasty and nutritional meals all day but you want to satisfy your sweet tooth too.

Do you have a serious love and appreciation for Pinterest like I do? If yes, then this is a great site to visit for more fun and creative ideas for healthier desserts. Before you click over to Pinterest, here are some ways you can “indulge” in the sweets without ruining your day of hard work to fit in all your veggies.

-Fruit based Frozen Yogurt or Fruit Sorbet

-Frozen yogurt and sorbet contain less calories and fat on average than ice cream. These items can be tangy, sweet, or tart and leave you feeling refreshed while ice cream leaves you feeling weighed down and thirsty.

-Chopped fruit dipped in chocolate

-Chop up any fruits you can find, melt some dark chocolate, dip, and savor the delicate balance of rich and tangy flavors.

-This allows you to get your chocolate fix while enjoying an intense and sophisticated flavor.

Remember, it’s okay to eat that square of Dove chocolate staring you down, don’t be too strict with food. These are just quick sugar fixes to satisfy you without putting a dent in your healthy day. Take these suggestions and apply them to your favorite nighttime snack. For example, turn the chocolate dip idea into a fondue fountain when you have all your friends over! How can you make your guilty pleasure a little less guilty?

References

Cunningham, E. (2013, April). Stop the cravings. Retrieved from:

http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6442469608 

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Adding Cinnamon Can Give You Sweeter Health

Written by Blake Cash
Part of National Nutrition Month 2014

Cinnamon has long been a staple in people’s pantries and is common in many recipes, especially sweeter ones. Cinnamon may seem like a simple kitchen staple, but it could have hidden health benefits on top of being delicious. One benefit is the spice’s ability to increase insulin sensitivity as well as regulate blood sugar levels.

So what does this mean? Insulin is a hormone released after eating that allows glucose (your body’s main energy source) to be taken into our cells. Increased insulin sensitivity means that insulin is released more quickly from our cells into the bloodstream.  Once insulin is in the blood, glucose is taken from the bloodstream for energy more quickly. Elevated levels of glucose in the blood for long periods of time can leave you feeling hungry, and you might be more prone to overeating.

Making small changes in your diet can make a huge impact on your health. However, choosing to eat healthier foods can seem hard, especially with so many processed foods available with added sugars. Our pallets are used to extremely sweet foods with added sugars, and naturally sweet foods can seem more bitter. Luckily, adding cinnamon to foods with low sugar levels can make them taste sweeter and keep blood glucose levels in check. Putting cinnamon with foods like fruit, unflavored yogurt, or even coffee can keep sugar levels low while adding a great taste.

Image by Blake Cash

Apple Pie Greek Yogurt:

Ingredients:

·         1 tbs. water

·         1 tsp cinnamon + extra to taste

·         ½ tbs. honey

·         ½ small apple

·         ¾ cup plain greek yogurt

Procedure:

1.      Chop up apple into small pieces.

2.      Place into microwave safe bowl with honey, ½ cinnamon, and water

3.      Microwave on high for 1 minute

4.      Take out of microwave, mix, and microwave 30 seconds more

5.      Take out of microwave and place in freezer to cool down quickly (about 5 minutes)

6.      Mix together remaining cinnamon into yogurt, add extra honey if desired

7.      Take apple mixture out of fridge and mix with yogurt. Serve immediately.

Get creative! Comment with your different twists on the recipe and unique ideas for using cinnamon! 

References

Rajudarai, A.. Amalia, T. Devasenan, D. (2012) Cinnamon in Glycemic Control: Systematic Review and Meta Analysis. Clinical Nutrition, 31, 609-615. 

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